Buckle-supfobt



WI j: I BUCKLE SUPPORT.

. AP ,19l9. 13,326,153 v. Patented 1)@@.23,1919.

INVEN I BY %3 ATTORNEW a rice.

WILLIAM J. FLEMING, 0F NORTHAMPTON,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO MATTHEW J. KEEVERS, OF NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BUCKLE-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented Dec. 23, 1919.

Application filed April 7, 1919. Serial No. 288,148.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. FLEMING,

a citiZen of the United States of America, re-

siding at Northampton, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckle-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved means for detachably supporting various ornaments, such as buckles, bows and the like from shoes, more particularly that class of shoes or fancy slippers, known as pumps.

It has become the custom to use various, and oftentimes very expensive, fancy ornaments on pumps. Frequently, with expensive ornaments, it is desired to use, the same ornaments with several pairs of pumps, or various and diversified ornaments with the one pair of pumps. Frequently, also gaiters or overshoes have to be worn and the use of the buckle interferes with either so that it is desirable to be able to readily remove the buckle.

I am aware that various means have heretofore been proposed for removably connecting the buckle to the pumps, but with all'the prior means of which I am aware, it is necessary to permanently attach somethlng to the pump itself, which something remalns after the buckle is removed in a visible and exposed position such as to dlsfigure and mar the appearance of the pum The object of this invention is to provlde a means for detachably supporting an ornament from a slipper, such as a pump, which means has no part permanently attached to the shoe and which can readily be removed without damage to the slipper or disfiguration thereof.

More specifically it is an object of the 1nvention to provide a buckle supporting means in the nature of a clip having two spaced jaws between which the vamp of the slipper is received, the supporting means being entirely removable from the slipper as well as the buckle itself.

Other objects and advantages will -appear in the following description and in the illustrative embodiment of the invention in the accompanying drawings, in whichi Figure 1 is a perspective new of a pump, provided with a buckle supported in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a buckle supporting means embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the application of the buckle support to a pump;

Fig. 41 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing the buckle and its support in place on the pump;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation illustrative of the connection between the pump and buckle support; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a buckle for attachment to the support.

Referring to these drawings; the buckle support comprises essentially a part 10 for attachment to the bow, buckle or other ornament, and a clip portion 11 for attachment to the slipper or pump. The clip portion 11 use of two spaced clips 11, applied to that portion of the vamp which is usually curved,

tends to prevent ready displacement of the clips and aids in maintaining the buckle supporting part 10 in the desired central location on the pump 10.

In the drawings the clips 11 have been shown in exaggerated thickness and the space between the jaws 12 and 13 has also been exaggerated, all to secure clearness of illustration. Actually, however, the material of which clips 11 are made is very thin and the space between jaws 12 and 13 is just suflicient to snugly receive the vamp v. Practically, then the disposition of the jaw 13 within the pump does not cause discomfort to the wearer of the pump as it occupies but a very small amount of space. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the back edge 14 of the clip,-that edge which will be engaged by the foot of the wearer of the pump,is curved and the curvature adopted is such as to conform to the instep of the Y tial for all purposes for the clips even though loosely engaging the vamp would be held in place by the foot, as shown in exaggerated form in Fig. 5, wherein f represents a frag ment of a foot in place in the pump 10.

Preferably also, the clip is formed from one piece of thin metal suitably bent up into substantially the form shown. That is, a piece of metal of suitable width is bent back upon itself to form the jaws 12 and 13 and then a strip is bent up between the jaws, along a line spaced from the edge 14, to afford the supporting part 10. The jaws 13 are preferably severed to allow independent spring action thereof and considerable metal 1s removed, as at 17, between jaws 13 to lighten the structure and reduce to a minimum the amount of metal to be placed with in the shoe. The forward edge of each jaw 13 is inturned, as at 18, to engage the inner surface of the vamp. By so doing, the clips may be removed while the pump p is in use without scratching or tearing the stocking or causing discomfort to the foot. The forward edges of the clips 12 are preferably upturned, as at 19, to avoid scratching or marring the outer finished surface of the pump.

Any desired ornament may be secured to the part 10 by any suitable means. Thus, an ornamental buckle b may be attached to part 10 in the following manner. Such buckles usually have a back plate 0 of thin metal and in such plate two spaced openings 0 may be made. The part m between these openings is then struck out rearwardly of the plate a and, so, may protrude through an opening n provided in the part 10. The part 10 and late 0 may then be removably held together By a key is which is slipped in place between the portion m and part 10 in a manner clearly obvious from Fig. 1. Any other means of attaching buckles, or other ornaments, to the part 10, may be employed as desired and the present invention is more particularly concerned with the means for attaching the buckle or a buckle support to the shoe.

The buckle supporting means described is particularly advantageous in that it may be put on or removed from the pump conveniently and without disfiguration of the pump. There is no part of the support which is permanently attached to the pump and I avoid the necessity for permanently attached buckle supports by the use of a support having two spaced members to en gage on opposlte sides of the vamp of the pump. This feature is considered the essential element of'my invention.

The buckle support described lends itself to various uses. It serves as a convenient means for supporting buckles for display purposes, as window exhibits, or it serves as a useful means for displaying on the pump of the customer, various styles of buckles. In its main use however, it is readily detachable from and as readily attachable to the pump without removing the pump, thus permitting one set of buckles to be used with several pairs of pumps or diflerent sets of buckles to be worn with thesame pair of pumps. When overshoes or gaiters are worn the buckle is readily removable and the pump, entirely undisfigured, may be worn without the buckle when desired.

The invention has been disclosed herein for illustrative purposes but the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

What I claim is 1. A buckle supporting member having two spaced and connected members between which the vamp of a slipper may be received to detachably connect the member thereto.

2. A supporting means for buckles and the like, comprising, a part for attachment to the buckle and a second part in the nature of a clip having two spaced jaws to respectively slip over and under the vamp of a slipper to detachably connect said means thereto.

3. A supporting means for buckles and the like, comprising, a part for attachment to the buckle and a second part in the nature of a clip having two spaced spring jaws to respectively slip over and under the vamp of a slipper to grip the same and detachably connect said means thereto.

4. A support for buckles and the like, comprising a member bent backwardly upon itself to provide two spaced parts to engage the outer and inner surfaces of the vamp of a slipper or the like, the rear edge of said member and the inner part being curved to substantially fit the instep of the foot, and a part provided on said member to support the buckle.

5. In combination with a shoe or the like, a buckle supporting member having a part for attachment to the buckle and another part for detachable connection to the shoe, said last-named part comprising two relatively closely spaced spring jaws between which the vamp of the shoe is received and gripped to detachably connect said support thereto.

WILLIAM J. FLEMING. 

